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Typically, the adoption and enforcement of a new edition of the model codes doesn’t start to take hold until at least a year after the codes are published. With regard to the 2012 International Codes there seems to have been some delay, but more jurisdictions are now enforcing them: According to the ICC website, as of late January 2014, the 2012 International Building Code was...more »

Manufacturers are pushing the hardware side harder for new designs, better performance and a wider choice of finishes,” says Phil King, vice president of Accurate Fasteners, part of Northern Architectural Products, based in Canada. For patio doors, hardware suppliers are responding with multipoint lock options to meet forced entry and energy efficiency requirements; tougher hardware capable...more »

After several rounds of revisions and stakeholder feedback, the Environmental Protection Agency issued the final criteria for Energy Star Version 6.0 for Windows, Doors and Skylights this January. It traces a two-year path of give-and-take between the EPA and the fenestration industry, culminating in a challenging, yet―compared to the initial draft―reasonable compromise.
While the window criteria...more »

“We’re seeing a shift from need-based repairs to things that will improve the look of the home,” said Chris Klein, CEO of Fortune Brands Home & Security, which includes Therma Tru, Simonton Windows, and Fypon, at the recent 2014 International Builders Show. And, it seems that many homeowners are starting their improvements at the front door.
Manufacturers are responding with...more »

Let me preface this Talk by saying that I didn’t choose the topic based solely on the opportunity to share this after-hours picture of the Window & Door staff at the International Builders’ Show last week. (Although really, how could I pass it up?) I chose the subject of social networking events because my curiosity was genuinely peaked about the role they play in the window and...more »

In 2012, the requirements of the 2015 ICC Group A codes were determined. The ICC Group A codes consist primarily of the International Building Code, and the IBC is the parent code of the ICC family of codes.
In 2013, the requirements of the 2015 ICC Group B codes were determined. The ICC Group B codes consist of the International Residential Code, International Fire Code, International Existing...more »

Courtesy of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
The family of International Codes published by the International Code Council is the most widely used set of model codes in the history of U.S. construction codes. In addition to their widespread use throughout the 50 states, numerous federal agencies—including the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Defense...more »

As 2012 drew to a close, we were waiting for the sequestration shoe to drop. This year, we are in a similar but much less publicized situation with regard to the fate of quantitative easing.
Quantitative easing, or QE, is a federal monetary policy that the government occasionally resorts to when standard monetary policy becomes ineffective, to pump more money into the economy...more »

New windows and doors, components and fabrication equipment to debut in Toronto

Win-Door North America returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Center, November 12-14, where more than 120 exhibitors will display the latest in windows and doors, components, software and fabrication equipment. Sponsored by Fenestration Canada, the annual event will also feature a variety of educational seminars addressing issues related to building codes, energy codes, the Energy Star program,...more »

In my last column I asked, “Will the replacement industry, as it is today, work for tomorrow?” I wasn’t referring to energy and performance standards; clearly, those will continue to advance. Instead, I was referring to the actual replacement process itself. Replacement, as we know it, consists of either installing a replacement product or exchanging a full frame. Both of these...more »